Unhidden Fear
by Enceludus
Summary: The Team race to discover the identity of five merciless murderers, but as bodies start piling up, the threat ends up much closer to home and more monumental than they ever imagined.
1. Chapter 1

'Walter, go and get Astrid, right now,' Olivia hissed at Walter who was stood beside a body holding a human foot in one hand and a telescope in the other. He looked at her blankly. 'Walter! Now,' she snarled, drawing her gun and taking another peak out of the window. She counted five ominous figures in the black van. Why did it have to be five? She could handle two or even three of them, but not five. She thought back to what they had done and shivered in trepidation. Walter still hadn't moved.

'Who's Astrid?' He asked, genuinely curious. Olivia groaned in frustration.

'Asteroid!'

'Oh her! Why?'

'Because there are five very dangerous men about to enter the lab. Find her and hide. Now!' She didn't tell him that he had already encountered them, or rather, encountered what they had done…there was no point scaring him.

'Where?'

'In a cupboard or something!'

'There aren't many cupboards around here, Olivia,' he chided, carefully putting the telescope down.

'Please Walter, just do I say. Use you outstanding intellect. For me?'

'Oh, righto,' he smiled finally and wandered off, still clutching the foot. The doors of the van had opened and five men were getting out. She could hear Walter cluttering around behind her, chattering away to Astrid loudly. They weren't going to be able to hide in time. There was nothing for it - she slowly opened the door and stepped out.

The five men froze when they saw her, identical heads turned in her direction. Pale eyes watched her.

'What do you want?' She asked, her hands as steady as rock as she levelled her gun at them.

'You,' the middle one said simply. His voice was musical and light, as though he was on the verge of laughing.

'Why?' She asked, stalling for time. A tiny part of her was interested, but the most of her was terrified. She hoped against hope that Walter and Astrid could hide in time. Training always comes first. She wished she had remembered to look at her watch before confronting them. Peter would be back any minute and if he suddenly showed up in the middle of all this, there would be no telling what would happen.

'Because you are the only one that can help us,' he sang. They had edged towards her without her even realising it, but she stood her ground. Now they were closer, she could make out their facial features. She shuddered.

Each one looked the same. Massive, almond shaped eyes that were set too high and broad in their heads blinked slowly and wide mouths brimming with oversized teeth gaped at her. They were tall, too tall, over seven feet. One pointed at her with spindly fingers. 'Come, and no one gets hurt.'

'It's a bit late for that,' she told them, not releasing her grip on her gun for an instant. She thought back to the earlier crime scene. It had been just after dusk and Boston's deep autumn chill was setting in. By the time they got there, the police had arrived and were milling about the place, contaminating it. Olivia had been furious, but nothing she could say would make them back off. They wouldn't even let her see the photos of the original scene. Finally, she and Peter had gone to look at the bodies underneath in the body bags.

The contents were barely human. Blood ran out of the zips and stained the floor below. She had carefully opened one up, and forced down the bile that rose in her throat. Peter hadn't been so controlled. One look at the contents and he had stumbled away gagging.

'Oh, Peter,' Walter had fussed. 'After all the cadavers you have handled, you still have a reaction like that?' He took his son's place next to Olivia. Even he had paled at the mangled sight in the bag. 'Oh deary me, what an earth could do that to a person?' he sighed, shaking his head.

The body was smiling viciously up at them, jagged rips in the cheeks reached almost to the empty, blood soaked eye sockets. The ears were missing too. They had been torn off.

Peter returned, pale and shaking.

'You ok Peter?' He nodded and crouched down again, ignoring his father who was poking at the body, humming softly.

'Police say there were a dozen witnesses,' he had told her quietly, looking anywhere but down at the bloody mess. 'Happened an hour ago, broad day light, middle of rush hour.'

'So what are we looking for?' She asked, concerned by the disturbed look on his face.

'Five men, very tall. That's all the police have managed to get out of the witnesses.' He shook his head soberly, reminding her of Walter. 'Apparently, they are too traumatized to say much else. Ten of them were taken to hospital and are being treated for shock.' He had taken a deep breath, steadying himself. 'Olivia, the men did this with their bare hands.' Chills had run up Olivia's spine. She locked eyes with Peter and they shared a moment of unhidden fear. She could sense his surprise at her display of emotion but he shrugged it off and leant over to squeeze her shoulder.

'I'm going to the station to try and get the official reports and initial photos.' His warm hand seemed to leave an imprint on her and she had watched him walk away, willing him to look back at her without even knowing why.

And then she turned back to the body and to Walter.

'Definitely done by humans,' he confirmed, moving onto the second of the three bodies.

'Is that all you can give me?'

'Oh, but my dear, I am giving you a lot,' he had told her, sounding surprised. 'I said this was done by humans. Not people.' He didn't wait for the significance to soak in.

Now looking at the five men, with only the cold metal in her hand to comfort her, Olivia felt fear clamouring up her throat. Humans, not people. One of them moved closer.

'_Don't move_,' she screamed at him before she could stop herself.

'We need you, Olivia Dunham,' another of them hummed, his voice full of humour.

'First mistake,' she spat at him, relishing the tiny bit of power he had just given her. 'You need me.' And with that, she spun around and raced back through the door, pausing only to slide the deadbolt across. She ran into the lab. The thumping on the door beat in time with the thundering of her heart. She looked around for Walter and Astrid and nearly choked when she saw them.

They were laid out on the tables, replacing the cadavers that had been there just a minute ago. Their clothes were ripped and their faces bloody. Walter had done a remarkably good job.

Olivia didn't pause as she stumbled across the lab.

'Don't move. Whatever you do, do not move,' she whispered as she slid past them. There was a shattering crash as the door caved in and she raced onwards and out the door.

Behind her, the five men glided into the lab, flowing through the shadows. They ducked beneath the lights and one let out a high chuckle that echoed through the lab making the glass of the test tubes thrum. For a horrible moment, Olivia thought that Walter and Astrid had been discovered, but when she risked a glance backwards, the men were already past them, their pale head looming through the darkness towards her. She stifled a cry in her throat and carried on.

She burst out of the backdoor and reached her car barely ahead of them. Shutting the door, she locked herself in. They surrounded the car. One laid a spatula-like hand on her window. It was over twice the size of hers and a sickening white.

Their wide mouths opened in silent laughter. Olivia swallowed tears of fear – god, she was being _so _unprofessional. She put the car in gear and revved the engine. The men backed off ever so slightly. But not enough. All rationality disappeared as she looked into the pale eyes of the thing stood beside her. Humans, not people. Fear took over and she gunned the accelerator, knocking one of them to the side with a thump and roared into the road.

Follow me, she thought desperately. Come on! Dismay mingled with relief when four of the five men began running after her in an easy lope. They were incredibly fast.

What the hell are they? Olivia thought, forcing herself to calm down. She was travelling at 30 miles an hour and they were still keeping up. Finally, they drew back and stood in the middle of the road, tall and eerie, just watching her receding car. Then the one she had knocked over pulled up behind them in the black van and as one, they turned and got in.

Olivia swore. They were coming for her.


	2. Chapter 2

The black van slammed into the side of Olivia's car again with such force that she was thrown against the door. Her hands gripped the wheel like vices, but she could not make the machine move and faster, her foot was to the floor.

Her phone rang. It was Peter. She fumbled for it, nearly dropping it on the floor before she could even answer.

'Peter?' She gasped, sweat trickling down her back. She threw a glance in the rear view mirror. Amber lights reflected off the windscreen as the van came for her again. She could just make out the outlines of the driver.

'Liv, it's ok, Walter told me they came for you. I need you to tell me where you're heading so I can call for back up.' His voice was so calm, so reassuring.

'I'm heading north,' she cried out again as the van smashed into her from behind. Her car began to swerve sideways and she desperately spun the wheel to correct it. Adrenalin deafened her to Peter's calling for seconds that felt like minutes. Then his voice broke through her consciousness again, panicking.

'Liv? Can you hear me? What happened? Are you ok? Olivia?!'

'I'm ok, just call for back up. Hurry.'

'Hold on.' He grunted. 'I'm coming for you.'

'What?'

'Look behind you,' and then he hung up the phone. For a moment, she couldn't see him. And then out of no where, a brown Chevy slammed into the side of the van. She caught a glimpse of Peter's determined face. What the hell was he doing? Was he trying to help her? With a frustrated groan, she realised she now had to look after him as well as herself. She would kill him for this.

Her anger abruptly turned to an unequivocal fear when the van drove Peter's car into the side barrier. He desperately tried to counteract the force of the stronger vehicle. Sparks flew from the metal and the grating howl rose over the sound of her straining engine. _Shit_.

Oliver slammed on the breaks and the van drove into the back of her, releasing Peter from its death grip against the road barrier. Freed, he shot past her and across the crossroads. Olivia said a brief prayer of thanks that the roads were close to deserted.

Her car was joined with the van; nose to tail. Try as she might, she could not separate the two. The engine was making heavy rattling noises and she could barely accelerate.

Peter rang again.

'Olivia you have to speed up,' he told her, frantic undertones uselessly obscured by his order.

'_I'm trying_,' she snapped, holding back the urge to swear at him. Her battered car managed to hit seventy but the van was still with her. Up ahead, Peter began breaking slowly until he was level with her car.

'Olivia, I need you to do something for me,' his voice floated into her car, eerily calm. She looked sideways to his car and caught his eye. He looked terrified.

'What?'

'Keep driving, ok? No matter what.' The tone of his voice put her on edge.

'Peter! What are you going to do?!' She screamed into her phone, but he didn't answer.

She watched as he dropped back again and slammed into the side of the van. This time, he didn't let up, he didn't try to counter balance the force of the vehicle. He let the nose of his car be pushed around until he was side on to the van. For a heart stopping moment, they carried on like that, smoke billowing from his burning wheels. Then the Chevy caught an edge and it was hurled through the air sideways.

Olivia watched in horror, helpless, as Peter tumbled through the air. It smashed back to the ground behind her.

'Peter?' She breathed into her phone. Behind her, the black van swerved dangerously to avoid the wreck of the Chevy, and balanced precariously on two wheels before it toppling over. It skidded on its side, leaving a trail of debris before it crunched into the central reservation, spun round twice and slid to a dead stop.

Olivia took a moment to react, her thoughts were so numb. Then she braked hard, swung the wheel and pulled on the handbrake. The car screamed in protest but then it was pointing back towards Peter. Why she didn't crash too, she had no idea, but she didn't care about that anymore.

She screeched to a halt beside the upside down wreck. Smoke was hissing from the engine. Then she was pulling the driver's door open, calling Peter's name. He hung by the seatbelt, deathly white and unmoving. She fumbled over his chest for the release, pausing only to feel the reassuring feel of his breath on her neck. She tried to catch his body as the belt released him but could barely support him and he hit the roof of the car with a groan.

'Peter?' She cried as his eyes fluttered open, gazing into hers in confusion.

'Thought I…told you to keep driving,' he gasped. His face was so close to hers and Olivia could think of nothing else. Irrational thoughts were taking over. These thoughts were destroyed by a high pitched laugh. Olivia's heart dropped out of her stomach and she felt her hands begin to shake. Peter's eyes widened in fear as he stared over her shoulder.

She wriggled backwards, knees scraping on shattered glass and turned around to face the man. He stood alone, not three metres away, blood trickling down his forehead. Her eyes searched for the other four, but they were nowhere to be seen. Please let them be dead. Please.

'Come Olivia, you have no where to go,' he smiled revoltingly. She blindly felt for her gun. Thankfully, it was secure in her holster and she brought it up in a fluid movement as she stood. Behind her, Peter was crawling out of the wreckage of the car. She could hear his ragged, straining breath.

'Why do you want me? Why did you kill those people?' She asked, unable to resist.

'Don't you recognise us?' He laughed and spread suited arms.

'No. Why should I? What do you want?' He took a step towards her.

'I think you know.'

'Shoot it,' Peter breathed behind her. Olivia paused for just a moment while she weighed up the possibilities. This one could be the only survivor of the five; if she killed him, they may never discover who or what they were, or why they killed three people. Then again…the way those people had been killed…

A sudden movement made her decision for her – another of the men tumbled out of the van and onto the concrete, then another. Using this distraction, the man in front of her lurched forwards. Olivia put three bullets into his chest; each shot pushed him back a step before he finally collapsed. They were killable at least.

Peter had pulled himself into a kneeling position beside his burning car, but could make it no further. Still holding her gun, Olivia grabbed his arm and threw it over her shoulder, half pulling him, half dragging him towards her car.

'Come on Peter, move,' she pleaded. He seemed to hear her because his legs took up the weight of his body and the two of them stumbled onwards. Olivia yanked open the passenger door and helped Peter inside.

Once in the car, she looked behind her. The four men were stood above their fallen comrade, framed against the burning vehicles, staring after her. Part of her wished that they would come after them again or at least laugh or do anything - not just stand there. For the first time, they were no longer smiling. Instead, their faces were set in a dark fury that chilled Olivia to the bone. One let out a high, keening cry of anguish and both Olivia and Peter clamped their hands to their ears in defence.

'Just drive,' Peter groaned at her through gritted teeth. She obliged with gusto, letting the wheels spin for a second before screeching away.


	3. Disclaimer Thing oops

Just realised that I haven't said any sort of disclaimer and had a panic (sorry, I'm new to this.) I officially don't own anything to do with Fringe, sadly. Oh except the five evil men, they're allll mine.

Ps really really sorry to get everyone excited and thinking that this was another chapter but I didn't know how to put it at the beginning of the chapters. Don't worry, next one is on it's way, I'm so addicted to this!


	4. Chapter 3

**Right, I think I'm starting to get the hang of this now. I am also starting to learn that reviews do in fact equal love in literary form. What's good? What's bad? Any general tips would be appreciated.**

**I don't own Fringe. If I did, Olivia and Peter would have grandchildren already.**

**Peace x**

***

When they were out of sight, Olivia finally let herself relax. The adrenalin of the past half hour left her shaking. Beside her, Peter was hunched against the door, his eyes shut.

'Peter?' She asked tentatively, reaching across to touch his knee. His eyes snapped open and she drew her hand back hesitantly. He looked at her blearily, and coughed weakly. Olivia drew a mental plan of the nearest hospital in her head.

'Don't,' he said quietly. The road they were on was populating and Olivia was scanning back and forth for a large black van, even though she knew it was lying on its side three miles back.

'Don't what?' She asked, taking a left at the next junction. They would be there in under ten minutes.

'Don't go to the hospital.'

'What?! Peter, don't be stupid. Listen to yourself and look at your hand,' she fought to keep her voice steady as she looked at him again. His left hand was a broken mess in his lap. 'You need to get looked at.'

'No, I'm ok,' he sighed tiredly, closing his eyes again. She bit her lip, he clearly wasn't. 'If we go there, they'll find us. They know who you are, Liv, they know where you live. Ring Astrid,' he breathed. 'Tell her to take Walter away from the lab and…to stay away. Tell her to wait for us…' Talking was clearly a strain and he paused to catch his breath.

Olivia snatched up her phone and speed dialled the lab. It went straight to answer phone. She rang again, this time waiting until Walter's recording had given her the go ahead to talk.

'Walter, Astrid, pick up the phone. The men have gone but you need to get out of there because they'll be back. Pick up the phone!' She regretting telling Walter not to move; he would've taken it to heart.

'Hello? Olivia? Are you alright?' Astrid sounded terrified.

'Yes, I'm fine, I'm with Peter. Listen, get out of there now and I mean right now - don't wait for Walter to pick up anything. Go somewhere safe, to a friend's house or something and do not leave.' Astrid was silenced by the seriousness of Olivia's tone. 'Are you two alright?' She asked, softening.

'Olivia, we were so scared.' Her voice was full of tears. 'They kept laughing…what were they? Why do they want you?'

'I don't know, Astrid. Are you out of the lab?

'Nearly.' Olivia was relieved to here Walter in the background, firing questions at her. 'We are now. We're walking to my car.'

'Good. Thank you Astrid. I'll ring you later but I have to go,' Olivia told her and hung up the phone. They were a minute away from the hospital.

'Please, just pull over the car,' Peter told her. She kept driving. 'Olivia, listen to me!' Olivia kept driving but slowed ever so slightly. 'At the police station, I read the statements from the witnesses. The things…the men…whatever they are…they are looking for you and I don't mean in a passive sense. Apparently they thought that the people they killed were connected to you…'

Olivia's blood ran cold. The people were killed for her?

'The witnesses said that before the men killed them, they questioned them, tortured them. They were trying to find out your location.'

'But I didn't know those people…'

'Are you positive? One hundred percent?' Olivia searched her brain again for the slightest inkling of recognition connected to the names, but came up empty handed.

'Yes,' she whispered. 'But they still found me, at the lab.' She had driven past the turning for the emergency room. If she had been able to, she would've hung her head in exhaustion and helplessness. 'What do we do though?' She had never been at such a loss before.

'Pull into a motel. It's one o'clock, there is nothing we can do tonight.'

'Ok, you're right. But tomorrow, you are going straight to the hospital, I'll detail some protection for you –'

'And you.'

'Yes, and for Walter. Then we can begin the investigation properly.' Olivia nodded in satisfaction. Lists calmed her and ordered her thoughts.

They pulled into the next motel and Olivia ordered a double room 'because we only have one gun between the two of us,' she told Peter. She then helped him to the room and sat him down on the bed.

'Peter?'

'Mmm?'

'Look at me.' He did so and Olivia sighed.

'Liv, I'm fine, I don't have a concussion,' he told her.

'You're right, you don't, you just look like shit.' This produced a small chuckle from him. 'My gun is here,' she said, placing it on the bedside table. 'I'll be back in a minute.'

'Bout time I got my own,' he mumbled as she left the room. She walked to the gas station across the road and brought painkillers, a bandage, food and water. When she returned, Peter was curled up safely on the bed. She sat next to him.

'Sit up.' He grumbled but pulled himself upright. 'Hold out your hand.' He did so reluctantly. She winced, every finger was broken and cut.

'Wait,' he stopped her. 'Give me the painkillers first.' He chewed through four stoically. 'Ok,' he nodded, 'go ahead.'

As gently as she could, Olivia bound his hand, forcing herself to ignore his sharp breaths of pain. When she had finished, he was pale and sweating.

'What are we going to do?' He asked, laying back slowly.

'Go to sleep,' Olivia told him simply but there was too much on her mind to sleep. Every time she shut her eyes, the faces of those creatures jumped into forwards. When she banished them, they were replaced by their bloody victims.

She double checked the lock and chain on the door then pulled some extra blankets from the wardrobe. Peter eyed her, frowning.

'What are you going to do with those?' He asked, his voice slightly slurred with exhaustion. Olivia almost smiled; he thought she was going to volunteer to sleep on the floor.

'It's cold in here,' she shrugged and laid on the bed next to him, pulling the blankets over them both. 'And you're shivering.' She could feel his quaking body shaking the bed.

'So are you,' he replied. He was right, she was. The stress and the fear of the day had left her exhausted too but things had got so much worse. She felt sick every time she thought of the men who had come for her and the people they had killed. She could hear their laughs echoing in her head. And then there was Astrid and Walter to worry about. What if the men went after them? Oddly enough, her concern for Peter outweighed everything else, ever so slightly. She turned her head to look at him.

'You alright?' She asked. He nodded imperceptibly.

'Scared,' he said casually but Olivia did not miss the importance of this confession.

'Me too,' she admitted. She could feel the warmth of his body emanating towards her even thought they were on opposite sides of the bed and was comforted. She felt sleep begin to claim her and tightened her grip on the gun beneath the pillow, just in case. 'But really, it's just another case. That's all it is.'


	5. Chapter 4

When Peter awoke, the sun had risen behind dark heavy clouds and the dull light was filling the room from between the blinds. At some point during the night, he had ended up with his arm wrapped around Olivia. Her body was curled into his chest, emanating a warmth that made his spine tingle. He lifted his head to see that she had his right hand held in both of hers and was nestling it to her neck.

He automatically drew her closer to him and she squeezed his hand in response. A flood of emotion rushed through him as he watched her chest rise and fall. A curl of hair lay across her cheek.

Still watching her, he thought back to when he entered the lab to find his father and Astrid laid out, still as death on the metal gurneys.

'What's going on?' he asked, without moving from the doorway. Astrid sat bolt upright, her eyes wide.

'These men came for Olivia,' she choked. 'Olivia told us to hide and then she just drove off and they followed.' Unease settled rapidly in Peter's stomach.

'How many were there?' He dreaded the answer.

'Five.'

'What did they look like?' He asked, dreading the response.

'Strange, I mean really strange. And they were so tall…' Peter hadn't even listened to the rest of her response, but sprinted back towards his car. Please don't let them get her, he prayed silently. Or was it aloud? The next few minutes were a blur of burning rubber and red lights. He had been so afraid that something had happened to her. If those _things_ got hold of her…he shuddered. Nothing else mattered except getting to Olivia. He lost track of the number of red lights he had run. But then he had seen her car and everything had fallen into place; she was alright.

As he watched her, Olivia took a deep breath and opened her clear eyes. One hand clutched automatically at the gun under her pillow but she relaxed when she felt Peter's warm body stretched against hers. He watched her blush as she realised she was holding his hand.

She rolled over and Peter sucked in his breath in pain the movement brought him. His whole body hurt and the pain in his chest made him feel sick to the bone. But then Olivia's concerned eyes found his and he smiled for her as best he could, not wanting the moment to end.

They laid in silence for just another minute, each lost in their thoughts. Neither of them new how remarkably similar they were. All too soon, Olivia sat upright.

'We should go,' she sighed. The instant she was out of Peter's warm embrace, the world seemed a colder place. But the sun had risen now and the threat was a little less imminent. 'Are you alright?' She asked him when he sat up with a grunt and reached for the painkillers. He nodded.

'Dandy.' Olivia pulled out her phone and as if on cue, Agent Broyles rang.

'Dunham? What's going on?' He asked immediately.

'Where shall I start?' She replied sarcastically but before she could carry on, Broyles spoke again.

'Start with what happened to the lab,' he snapped.

'What? What's happened to it?'

'Completely destroyed, or near enough. Only thing left standing is the walls. I'm there now.' Olivia groaned.

'We're on our way, I'll explain everything when I'm there.' She hung up and turned to Peter who was waiting expectantly. She told him and he remained silent. 'Peter, it's ok, Walter wasn't there, he's ok.'

'It's all his work, he's going to be devastated. You think it was those things?'

'It can't be just a coincidence.' The early morning chill had seeped into the room and Peter was shaking. 'Go take a shower, clean up a bit, I'll settle up,' she told him softly. There was blood in his hairline that she hadn't noticed before.

While paying for the room, the news playing on a tiny colourless TV caught her eye. It was detailing four murders that happened during the night.

'Can you turn that up?' She asked with trepidation. The man behind the desk obliged and cranked up the volume, much too loud.

'…three a.m this morning. Witnesses claim there were four attackers, who appeared out of a side alley…police are warning for the public to stay away from these men at all costs. Just ring the police and avoid contact with them. Some viewers may find the following images disturbing…' The grainy image lifted from a security camera showed the four remaining men. No, they showed the four remaining _things._ Olivia had ceased to think of them as humans at all. They were facing the camera, stood perfectly symmetrically, long arms dangling by their sides.

For a moment, Olivia thought she was looking at a photograph, but then one of them started laughing. His broad mouth split open in a joyous cackle that the others soon echoed. They just _stood_ there, laughing. Laughing at her.

Without her noticing, Peter came and stood behind her, his warm breath tickling her neck. She didn't turn to look at him but could see his bedraggled form in the reflection of a picture frame. His dark hair was jet black with water.

They stood watching the screen, side by side, together, as much as they ever could be.

'That's creepy man, I mean like _really_ creepy,' the man behind the desk said, watching it with them. He shuddered. 'They ain't human.'

Peter chuckled softly.

When they got to the lab, the place was cordoned off by both the police and the F.B.I. Agent Broyles was waiting outside with a dark look on his face. Olivia could see Gene tied hastily to some guttering.

'Dunham? You look like shit,' he informed her. Then he caught sight of Peter and his eyebrows raised in concern. 'What happened to you two? You need a medic, Bishop?'

'No, thanks.'

'As your senior, I'm going to ignore your request,' he motioned for two men nearby. 'Let's not take any chances.'

'Let's go inside?' Olivia told them both, dragging her eyes away from Peter's haggard face. Once inside, Peter was taken to a sit on a just standing stool while Olivia and Broyles stood nearby. Not a single piece of equipment remained in tact, and the papers strewn across the floor slid across it in the breeze. Chemicals and tinctures were splashed along the walls and pooling on the floor. If not for the early morning sun, the place would be pitch black – every light bulb had been shattered.

'So what do you know?' Broyles asked. Olivia took a breath and began talking. Out of the corner of her eye, she was watching the two medics prodding at Peter, lifting up his arms and listening to his chest. The look was not lost on Broyles but he tactfully ignored it.

'So do you have any idea why they want you? Or why they know you?' Olivia shook her head in frustration. 'Have they taken anything?' She studied the lab again, shaking her head. She was about to reply when Peter finally spoke up.

'The tank,' he whispered. Olivia snapped her head up to its position to find a great, gaping hole. Rubble was strewn across the floor around it.

'They took the _tank_?'

'Why isn't it on tape?' Peter cut across her again. Olivia knew him well enough by now to appreciate when he was beginning to form an understanding.

'They blacked out all the security cameras,' Broyles replied.

'How?'

'Footage shows them climbing up and ripping them out the walls.' Olivia nodded – that meant they would be able to lift finger prints.

'So they still don't have real weapons?' Peter remarked.

'There is no need, they can handle themselves without guns.' Peter looked up at the man stood above him and raised an eyebrow.

'What about protection? Olivia killed one. If he had had a gun, both of us would most likely be dead. And anyway, why would they allow themselves to be seen when they killed those people in the night and not when they were searching the lab?' He stood up and regretted it as the blood rushed to his head, pushing past the two medics and shaking off Olivia's concerned touch on his arm. 'They wanted to be seen before. Why would they not now?

'It's not like we wouldn't guess what they've taken. And if they were trying to hide how much physical power they possess, they wouldn't have murdered those people using their bare hands. So surely they were also searching for something they haven't taken away from here…and we won't be able to figure out what it is. That must be their plan. But…' Olivia felt the thrill of watching him piece things together. It was much like watching Walter work, seeing the revelation light up his eyes. But then Peter sat down heavily again, clearly expended. 'I don't understand,' he sighed, his shoulders sinking.

'Don't worry,' Olivia squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. Broyles watched impassively.

'Well, we can start by investigating who those victims were. Now we have an extra four to examine.'

'We can start by visiting my father,' Peter said and all three of them nodded. Olivia rang Astrid while Peter sat conversing with Broyles quietly. The two of them were at one of Astrid's friend's house.

'How is he?' She asked one of the medics, who gave a short laugh in response.

'He should be in hospital. Multiple broken ribs, possible internal injuries, hell there could be anything.'

'So…?' She asked impatiently. The man shrugged.

'Well, he's still standing.'

'Peter, you're going to hospital,' Olivia ordered, walking up to him. She didn't want to leave him alone but he would be protected enough with the men Broyles could provide. And at least and that would be one thing off her mind.

'I'm going to see Walter first,' he growled, to Broyles as much as her. Olivia expected the agent had been trying to convince him to do the same as she was. With a sigh, Olivia recognised the stubborn look on Peters face. It was too dangerous for him now though.

As though Broyles could read her mind, he placed a black case on the table top and pulled out a gun. He handed it to Peter.

'It about time you had one of these.'

'My thinking exactly, funnily enough,' Peter replied, his face lighting up.

'We don't know what we're dealing with here, but whatever they are, they have a grudge against Olivia. She'll need all the protection she can get.' Peter looked like he couldn't agree more and he tucked it into the back of his jeans with a vague air of pride. He nodded in silent thanks.

'Coming then?' Olivia asked him, cocking her head. He got up stiffly and followed her out the lab.

'You two stay in touch,' Broyles called after them.

In the car, Peter pulled out the gun to study it. Olivia smiled the gleam of satisfaction on his face.

'Happy now?' She asked.

'Oh yes.'

**Yes, yes, there goes the obligatory Peter-and-Olivia-in-bed-together-but-not-actually-together chapter. Any good? I've written the end already, I'm just filling in the middle so sorry for the wait. xXx**


	6. Chapter 5

**Sorry about the wait. Seems like everyone has been cut the same deal this Christmas – relatives falling on ice and throwing the whole festive season in the air! Can you believe this weather though?! **

**Enjoy X**

Astrid and Walter were waiting for them on the doorstep of the house Astrid has directed them to. It was a small but beautifully kept wooden structure, set back from a quiet tree-lined street. Walter waved enthusiastically from the porch. Before they were even in earshot, Walter was chattering away.

'…but then again, the fact that they are after you as opposed to what you have changed…son, what happened to you?' He gasped mid-sentence as he finally looked up at Peter's face.

'Oh, the usual,' he replied, walking straight into the house and sitting himself on the sofa. Olivia shrugged, half in apology, half stopping Walter from investigating further.

'Can I get anyone some tea or coffee?' A timid voice came from entrance to the kitchen. A young man stood awkwardly, his hands clasped in front of his body. He had dark hair and skin even paler than Olivia's. As she watched, his eyes slid to Astrid for reassurance. The look was not missed on Peter either apparently, who cocked his eyebrow inquisitively at Astrid. To everyone's surprise, she started to blush.

'Oh yes, everybody, this is Jeh…Jem…' Walter frowned.

'Jeremy,' Astrid sighed in exasperation. The room fell into an uncomfortable silence as Peter and Olivia watched Jeremy, unabashed. Finally, Astrid smiled winningly at him and confirmed tea for everyone. He left the room with flaming cheeks. Olivia sat next to Peter.

'So, Astrid, how do you know Jeremy?' Peter asked mischievously, a sly smile on his face.

'We're old friends,' she told them, regaining her composure. 'I trust him…if that's what you are worried about,' she continued, knowing full well that that wasn't what anyone was interested in. Walter was leering happily at her.

When Jeremy returned with tea, he handed them out quietly and then sat next to Astrid.

'It seems to me,' Walter declared loudly, 'that I should find myself a lady friend. You are all pairing off and soon it shall only be me left.' All four of them blushed furiously and Olivia felt her chin drop. Peter stared determinedly ahead.

'Oh don't think I don't see the way you stare at each other,' he carried on. 'Look Olivia, you're doing it now!' Olivia pulled her gaze away from Peter, whose face she had merely glanced at to check he was alright. He seemed fine, for now. For once, Olivia was lost for words.

'Of course, I know I will still be welcome to your company but I understand when you young people have…ulterior motives for certain _friendships_.' He was chuckling at his son, nodding pointedly.

'Walter, this isn't-' Olivia said in disbelief, but he cut across her.

'Peter, how old are you now? Twenty-four? Twenty-five.'

'I'm thirty-two!'

'Yes, yes and how long has it been since you got any act-'

'Don't we have a case to discuss or something?' Astrid practically shouted. Peter sat, mortified.

'Oh yes, yes we do, don't we? Quite an intriguing one at that,' Walter agreed, seeming to forget the conversation in an instance. If anyone could have heard his thoughts at that moment, then they would've been surprised at his lucidity and perceptiveness. Walter's ramblings weren't often as balmy as they were made out to be…he just liked to go along with the ride to scare people…

Olivia seized the silent moment and told the three of them about her conversation with the five things at the lab, the chase, the crash, the shooting and wound up back at the lab; she paused before telling Walter what happen, afraid of the effect it would have on him.

'Oh. Right,' he said impassively. 'Is Gene ok?'

'Yes, Walter, Gene is fine.'

'Is it totally destroyed?'

'Well, it's still intact, but all the instruments have be-'

'Does this mean I get a new one?'

'What?' Olivia asked, dumbfounded.

'A new lab, with all new machinery and…and new shining tools and a big room like in Massive Dynamic and…' Walter was working himself up and as he spoke the breaths he was taking became shorter and shorter until Olivia spoke over him in exasperation.

'Yes! We'll see what we can do.' She felt Peter's eyes on her but refused to look at him. _Great_, she cursed herself inwardly. She tried to imagine requesting funding for a new lab for Agent Broyles. And failed.

'Excellent,' Walter smiled, his eyes crinkling into his skin. Olivia shook her head ever so slightly but Walter was calm now, at least. 'These murdered people, has anyone worked out a connection between them yet?'

'Well, the two groups were unrelated, but they were friends amongst themselves.'

'Olivia, you know them.'

'No, I don't,' she replied, caught off guard.

'Yes you do.'

'No I don't'

'You do!'

'Guys.' Peter broke in. 'Walter, just explain yourself.'

'You have known them for many years.'

'_What_?'

'Well, not a biblical know, but you must pass them every day. On your way to work. On the bus, perhaps?

'It explains why you didn't know their names. And you couldn't recognise them because of-' He waved a hand in a circular motion around his face and wrinkled his nose in distaste.

'They tortured and killed people I get the _bus_ with?' Olivia asked, incredulous.

'I have concluded so.'

'Why?'

'Do you mean how have I come to this conclusion? Or why were they ki-'

'Walter!' Peter warned again.

'These things, they aren't human. Not human as we know anyway. You see, I believe that they are from a…_different_ place.' Walter paused for effect. Olivia couldn't help nodding. The thought had crossed her mind.

'I believe that they are related to our friend The Observer,' he declared.

'What?!' Peter choked on his tea. 'The Observer observes. These things obliterate.' Walter started laughing.

'The Obliterators!' He exclaimed excitedly. 'Why do you think they stole the tank, Olivia?' Walter asked, abruptly serious again.

'Because they want to use it?' She said, feeling utterly foolish.

'Yes. Which is also why they want you.'

'Because I can use it.'

'Yes.'

'Walter, this is all very obvious but it doesn't explain a thing. Who _are_ they?' Peter snapped, massaging his temple with one hand.

'Who is the Observer?' His father snapped back, losing patience rapidly. 'Now, have you got anything for me to examine?'

'Not yet, but we might be able to… blood from the scene of the crash…possible a body too…' Olivia told him, turning thoughts over in her head. 'One of them told me I should recognise them,' she mused. 'If they are related to The Observer, maybe they know I've been investigating him. But that doesn't explain why they want the tank, or me. It just doesn't add up properly. I mean, if they wanted me off The Observer's case, they could've just killed me. But they want me to go with them.'

'Well, that's not happening, is it?' Peter grunted, pulling himself out the chair. 'I suppose we had better get back to the lab.'

'I can help,' Jeremy spoke for the first time, tentatively. 'I mean, if you want.' Olivia looked at him expectantly. Some kid wanting a part of the FBI highlife. Typical.

'Jeremy graduated from MIT. First class,' Astrid smiled smugly. 'If those things logged onto the computer files, he'll be able to find out everything they searched for, even the length of time they were on it. Hell, he'll be able to tell us what speed they typed at!'

'Onwards, then. And upwards!' Walter explained. Olivia shook her head. She already had a headache.


	7. Chapter 6

**Hello everyone, just a short update. Shouldn't really say that, it sort of spoils it… **

**I've had semi-writers block but it is on its way to being fixed. I reckon my attempt at a cliff-hanger is quiet easy to guess. Is it? I'm starting to lose all semblance of logic. Anyway, it would really help me if you could drop me a review. Thanks x**

Dust motes swam along in the hazy air of the lab, disturbed only by the draft they caused as they moved about. It was silent and cold. Even Gene was gone. The police officers had left and the tape had been taken down. A mouldy 'do not enter' sign had been taped to the door, completing the dilapidated look of the building. _We needn't worry about someone stumbling across Walter's experiments anymore,_ Olivia thought wryly.

Peter, Astrid and Jeremy set about righting broken equipment and upturned furniture and mopping up the spilt chemicals while Olivia rigged some cameras around the perimeter using some old television sets they bought on their way. No point being caught off guard again. Walter, meanwhile, shuffled amongst the cupboards and produced bundles of pale green candles.

He wedged them in every possible surface of the lab, on the floor, in open cupboards, and even balanced them on the light fixtures. Then he lit them.

The whole room lit up like nothing Olivia had ever seen before; every corner was illuminated by a soft, subtle light and the shadows created from light reflecting off light flickered along the walls and the ceiling. The old lab looked beautiful. Walter clapped his hands in delight. 'Splendid,' he murmured when he stepped back to observe his creation.

'Does this mean you don't want a new lab?' Olivia asked tentatively, straightening up from behind the tv sets, holding lengths of wire in each hand.

'No. I still want a new one. It just looks pretty. And Peter, stop it, you look gormless.' Peter dropped his gaze and mumbled something intelligible, cringing. Olivia had just looked so radiant with the light shining on her face like that…

'We're getting somewhere guys,' Astrid called from where she bent over Jeremy at a computer.

'This is what they were looking at,' Jeremy told them, gesturing to a screen riddled with Greek letters, mathematical symbols and logarithms. The screen was black and the writing and diagrams stood out in pastel green and red, framed by graphs and elegant parabolas. Olivia sighed.

'What the hell is it?' She asked, totally nonplussed. Jeremy shrugged, Astrid shook her head and Peter stared at the screen, paler than ever. 'Peter, you ok?'

He fumbled behind himself for a chair, and slumped down as though his legs would no longer hold him. His eyes darted across the screen, lips moving as he absorbed what he saw. Seconds passed and he finally closed his eyes and hung his head.

'This isn't right,' he whispered finally.

'What isn't?'

'Those calculations…they can't be right, they just…it's not possible, Liv.'

'What isn't?! What are they?

'Who made them?' He asked, quietly.

'I don't know, I can't-' Olivia was broken off by a hoarse shout from Walter behind them. He clutched the edge of the table with one white hand to support himself, and clapped the other to his mouth and as he stared at the screen, shaking violently. Olivia had never anyone look so wretched or so terrified.

'Walter? What's wrong?!' Astrid gasped. Slowly, his wild eyes slid to those of his son.

'Walter?' Peter asked quietly, his voice dangerously low. 'Is this what I think it is?'

'Yes,' his father choked, tears streaming down his cheeks. 'I'm so sorry, my son,' he whispered before he turned tail and ran out of the room, sobbing.


	8. Chapter 7

**Reeeeally sorry it's taken me so long to update, it won't happen again. Promise. Reviews would be lovely if you have time. If there is something I've written that doesn't make sense, please tell me, because I might be completely missing some huge hole. Peace everybody x**

Astrid and Jeremy went after Walter, Olivia stayed with Peter. She spent a whole hour trying to coax him out of a cupboard.

'Peter, please, just come out,' she said again, her voice shaking from the effort of keeping it level and reasonably. She was a bad liar, and was barely resisting the urge to shoot the lock or kick the door in. She reasoned she deserved to be angry at him; he had locked himself in the store cupboard and not said a word since. 'This really isn't helping, Peter. You can't just lock yourself away,' she sighed through gritted teeth, leaning her head on the door. _Why was he being so childish?_ Olivia wanted to scream.

Still, he was silent. In a final attempt, she pulled a small bottle of whiskey from her bag. _Knew I'd need this,_ she thought with a smile and clinked the bottle against a glass, letting the liquid swirl languidly inside.

'I've got something here you might like.' Cajoling him with such a cheap shot would either amuse him or antagonise him, and Olivia let her shoulders slump with relief when she heard the lock click open. She pushed the door open softly and squinted through the gloom to see Peter sat against the wall, legs crossed, head back.

'Peter Bishop, I thought you were better than that,' she tried to joke, but he didn't respond. She sat next to him and proffered the bottle.

'Thanks. I've just run out,' he told her, holding up an empty bottle, twice the size of her offering. Olivia didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

'Where did you get that?' He shrugged.

'Thought I'd need it sometime.' Only now did Olivia realise his words were slurred and decided to take advantage of this.

'Peter, what the _hell _is going on? What did Walter mean? What are those calculations?'

'They're not calculations,' he mumbled after taking a long swig from the bottle, downing a third of it. 'They're instructions.'

'Oh.' She waited patiently for him to go on.

'I can't believe he would come up with something this _stupid._ I know he's done some crazy stuff before, but there are some lines you just don't cross. I'm going to kill him.'

'Why?'

'Those 'calculations' are ah, how do I put this? They're inter-dimensional, shall we say?'

'Inter-dimensional as in…?' Olivia didn't like the way this was going, to say the least.

'Yes. As in "my lunatic father has at some point in his past devised a method of inter-dimensional travel, since then forgotten about his invention and has subsequently risked all our lives by leading five alternate being to embark on a murderous rampage through Boston to rediscover the instructions." I don't think anyone is ever going to say a sentence like that again. Ever.' He almost laughed.

'You're telling me that those things are from a parallel universe-'

'No parallel. Alternate. I don't think our world is that parallel to theirs in a literal sense, given the difference in anatomy. If every decision we make manipulates our very direction in this land, then theirs would've been influenced in the most dramatic way, possibly a millennia ago. They may have been humans, as we know them, once upon a time, but not anymore. No, they are distant relatives of the scale of humanity's family tree.'

'Peter…'

'So these things, they want the instructions to get back to their world, I suppose. Don't ask me how they got here…probably Walter's doing…but if they got their hands on that knowledge, they could do anything…they could just pop up anywhere. It's not…right.' Peter was beginning to wind down, his energy spent and his words were beginning to slow.

'Walter has done something too dangerous to control. With knowledge like that, he could do anything, and anything could be possible. There must be an infinite number of worlds…Walter might still be with my mother somewhere. You might be a school teacher. I might be dead. Anything.' His voice was shaking and he dropped his head to his hands, letting the now empty bottle of whiskey drop to the floor and roll away.

'Well, now we know,' Olivia said lamely, voice reedy in the silence. She wanted to argue with him, shout at him, tell him he was wrong, that things like that weren't possible but she would be lying. Instead, she settled for: 'We'll sort this out, Peter.'

'But it's Walter's fault. Who gave him the damn right to mess with stuff like this? People have died because of him and his stupid meddling,' he groaned.

'Look, what Walter does isn't often in his control – you of all people should know that. He was probably encouraged or ordered to do it, or maybe he had his own reasons…' Olivia couldn't believe she was defending Walter for something as monumentally _wrong_ as this, but she truly believed he would never do something like this for his own gain.

Peter nodded imperceptibly.

'Where did he go?'

'I don't know. Astrid and Jeremy are looking for him, I doubt he'd have gone far…' Olivia wanted to have faith in her words, but she had never seen Walter look so terrified as he had stared at his son. _Worried about his reaction,_ she reasoned uneasily. 'Come on, it's cold in here,' she said, standing up and offering her hand to him.

Peter looked up at the hand, presented to him much in the same way as the whiskey had been; as salvation. He paused, then took it.

He let her lead him around the familiar tables and broken equipment, concentrating on her hand and on staying upright. She led him to the sofa and pushed him to sit down, leaving his hand cold and empty as she went to find a blanket. He was left staring at it, dumbstruck.

He let her fetch him some water and held out his hand dutifully as she handed him some painkillers. He took them when she ordered, and watched her walk away again. When she returned, he watched her unfold a blanket and flap it out in front of her to clear it of dust. She was speaking, but as much as Peter concentrated, he couldn't make out the words. He watched her lips intently, until he forgot what it was it was meant to be doing, captivated by her face.

Peter stood up suddenly and caught her arm, so their faces were inches apart, and kissed her gently. For the briefest of moments, everything in his world seemed to be lightened and he forgot himself and what was happening around them, but then she pulled away sharply and he was back, with every pain and worry pressing down.

'Peter, what are you doing?' Olivia gasped, brow furrowed with confusion. Her voice was sharp in the quiet.

'Thought that'd be obvious,' he replied, refusing to look away from her eyes…her lovely eyes…

'You're drunk.'

'You're beautiful.' That one caught her off guard and she stared at him with her mouth open. He took the blanket from her hands and wrapped it round her body, pulling it snugly under chin. She still looked confused so he kissed her again, so there would be no mistake. When he pulled back, her eyes had softened and he kissed her forehead to smooth out the lines of worry.

He waited cautiously for her reaction. She took the blanket from his hands and wrapped it around his back, pulling him closer until they were cocooned within it.

Then she kissed him.


	9. Chapter 8

**Hello everyone. Just a quick note – I want you all to know that I started this story aeons ago, before any of this recent drama regarding the 'alternate universe' cropped up. Obviously threads from the show inspired me, but I've just made it all up which is why it now doesn't correlate with the show in the slightest sense! So, just please just pretend that you are reading this before the recent episodes else you're going to wonder what on earth I'm going on about. Thanks all and thanks for the reviews. A special thanks to my ever faithful reviewers Wjobsessed and Zeusfluff.**

'Walter, please, just come out.' Astrid said again. 'Locking yourself away like this won't help anyone.' They had found Walter at the local corner shop, picking at bags of frozen peas, and counting under his breath. Initially, he had looked completely vacant as they stood round the end of the aisle, debating what to do.

'He listens to you and only you, most of the time,' Jeremy told her, giving her a slight push towards Walter, and Astrid relented, approaching him cautiously. Then, when he had seen her, a look of sheer panic had crossed his face and he had fled to the toilet at the back of the store, locked the door and not said a word since.

That had been nearly an hour ago. She sat on the floor with a huff, ignoring the bewildered glances from shoppers and slightly angry look from the shopkeeper.

'You're being very childish, Walter,' she declared blithely, 'and I don't think anyone is going to commend your behaviour.' He was still silent. Even tempting him with chocolate bars and ice cream was useless.

Finally, Astrid knelt up in front of the door, and began to pick the lock. She mouthed an apology at Jeremy but he just shrugged as though chasing after an eccentric scientist, cornering him in a public toilet, then forcing their way into to him was all part of a days work.

The door swung open and Astrid peeked her head around it, finding Walter hunched in a dark corner.

'Please, don't turn the light on,' he whispered.

'Why not?' Astrid's hand stopped it's progression to the light switch abruptly.

'I don't want you to see me cry,' he choked with such vulnerability that Astrid pulled herself across the floor to comfort him. He cried while she stroked his back and shushed him softly.

'We can make it better, Walter. You can make it better, I know you can. You always do.'

'You have so much faith.'

'Thank you?'

'It's not always a good thing…'

'Oh.' They sat in silence again, and totally in the dark.

'I've done something very bad, Astrid,' he murmured, his voice on the verge of breaking again.

'So put it right again.'

'You make it sound so simple.'

'It is.' He heaved a sigh and muttered about having too much faith again but she ignored him.

'I know, you're right, but it's just so hard sometimes.' Astrid stayed silent, smiling into the dark. She knew how Walter's mind worked well enough by now; it was just a game of waiting while he talked himself round.

'But if I try and it doesn't work. What then, huh? I'm just an old fool, bumbling away. I don't know why you listen to me. All I do is ramble and everyone thinks I'm crazy. Do you think I'm crazy? You do, don't you? I do, which is quite sad really.' He chuckled to himself. 'And I wouldn't listen to me either. In fact, why are you listening to me? Actually, what are we doing here? Astrid? We've got work to do! Get up Astrid.' Astrid let him pull her up and open the door for her. She flashed Jeremy a quick thumbs up and the three of them left the store.

Walter was apprehensive about confronting Olivia and Peter, but when they returned to the lab, the two of them were fast asleep on the sofa, wrapped up in one blanket. Peter's head was tucked under Olivia's chin, and both their faces were cast in shadow. Walter stood over them for nearly five minutes, smiling sadly and humming ever so slightly. Finally, he leant forwards and tucked his son's hand under the blanket from where it lay on top, then scampered off, lest either of them wake.

There were times when Astrid would've paid for Walter's thoughts, and now was one of them. He busied himself amongst the test tubes as though lives weren't at stake, but as always, there was haunted air about the way he studied the things around him, as though he were constantly on the edge of a horrible acceptance of his state of mind.

'I know why they want Olivia,' he told them finally, receiving a mug of hot chocolate from Jeremy with a sweet smile. 'She is the key to all of this. I taught her to _know_ things. Intrinsically, I mean. I doubt she'll have a clue what I'm talking about because it's all on a subconscious level.'

'Which is why those things wanted a tank, so they could make Olivia delve into her subconscious and reveal the information?'

'That is correct, Astrid, well done.'

'So why aren't they coming after you?'

'Oh…oh that I don't know... perhaps it is for that very reason – because I am an old man and I can't remember a thing.' The corners of his mouth twitched into a smile. 'Yes, yes that will be it.'

'So what are our options here?' Everyone in the room jumped at Olivia's voice. She stood, eyes slightly blurred but not in the least bit fazed by the fact she had just been discovered curled up and fast asleep with her co-worker.

Walter paled.

'Olivia, I'm sorry, I really am,' he mumbled. 'Is Peter very angry?' Olivia wanted so much to accept Walter's apology, and to reassure him that Peter wasn't angry, but she couldn't lie.

'Yes, well, it's a bit late for that,' she told him, putting on her best reproachful tone, but ending up just sounding weary. She continued, feeling guilty at the look of misery on Walter's face. 'Let's just get to work, Walter, I think that'd be best for everyone.'

'Yes, yes you're right Agent Dunham. But I'm afraid there isn't much work to be done really. I doubt very much that you're going to like my plan.'

'What's that then?'

'We wait, Olivia. We wait for them to come to us.'


End file.
